use a simple prefix character for special case wiki word interpretation: say using the backtick as in the following examples:

for a single word noun for a place `Iceland

or for a thing `Processor

same for Name middle Initial `JohnCSmith

same for All Caps as in `NASA

or any word combination `thisIsAWikiWord300 `20031023FileWithNumericBeginning

also could be used before a quote enclosed link `"New Zealand"

The algorithm is simple: treat all characters following the backtick until a space (or newline) is encountered as a WikiWord. One treatment for a host of problems. -- AnonymousOnPurpose

Why not just dump wiki words altogether and go exclusively with the backtick syntax? For a new wiki, I would be in favor of such syntax, but when a wiki such as this one already has 25000 pages using a standard syntax, adaptation seems a less radical procedure. It is simple, can be easily programmed, is comprehensive and solves a multitude of representational issues as demonstrated in the illustration above. It allows the normal use of () {} {} or any other delimiters to their normal meaning in code snippets, as well as in qualifying enclosures. It is also to be favored over a bracketed syntax which is more invasive visually to a textual presentation. The backtick has low visual impact and requires only one keystroke. `SeeWhatI'Mean? -- AnonymousOnPurpose

Backtick syntax is used by VQWiki which we have been using for some time without problems (as far as WikiWords are concerned). The convention is that CamelCase words and strings enclosed in backticks (e.g. `Test`, or `Extended Test on 2nd September 2005`) are interpreted as WikiWords. -- Ant...

How about extending the formatting rules to treat a period to be equivalent to one or more lowercase letters? For example, W.C.Fields, ArthurC.Clarke, I.B.M. would all be WikiWords. It looks to me to be an almost natural extension to the wiki rules that's consistent with English punctuation.

My 'parse rules use "?" followed by an Alphanumeric character (and several other characters) to detect single word links, and detect URLs before looking for link words. So far it seems to work OK on the above test line. Anyone got any ideas for more difficult tests?

What happens when the markup for a link with spaces is split across lines or uses multiple spaces or tabs?

"I can't type tabs." :) Parsing stops at the end of a line. And, if it doesn't fit the format, it's left unchanged (or falls through to detecting the URL and making that the link. Then the writer can see that it looks wrong and correct appropriately, by adding in the extra {"} or what ever. The parse rules are written in Rebol and are available from my site or from my mailing list.

I like the {CurlyBrackets} suggested above, or <<DoubleAngleBrackets>>: <<CIA>>. I'm setting up a wiki (<--see?) for the CSCL2003 conference and I doubt that people will take the time to write ComputerSupportForCollaborativeLearning? every time they will use the term (and that will be a lot).

Related: I can't see why double capitalization is a problem? (DennisOHara, SwimmingInALake)

It's impossible to have a page called CIA. You could do TheCia, which would render as "The Cia" or (ugh) CiaAcronym, which would render as "Cia Acronym". Of course, CentralIntelligenceAgency would be the best name here.

My own pet peeve (with CamelCase) happened when I tried to implement a WikiCalendar. There's just no F***ing way (in CamelCase) to construct the names of dates such that they are 1) compact 2) easy to read 3) sortable in any meaningful fashion 4) usable as links.

Trying to use a Wiki as a general-purpose data store (for me personally) fails on this point. There are other nuisance link problems, but I'm pretty sure that whatever would solve the calendar problem would solve the rest.

I imagine that some variation on [["2004-05-04" "May 4,2004"]] would be right. Anyone seen a usable calendar/journal/diary implementation in Wiki? What notation? [[SunaTare?.net|author]]

The biggest problem I see with WikiWords is they only work with alphabets that differentiate syntax using capitalization and/or whitespace. Can anyone demonstrate a successful adaptation of WikiWords to Chinese? -- Roan. See ChineseWiki

I admit the code to implement WikiWords in wikinehesa is a tad large, confusing to understand, and generally annoying to me. implementing FreeLinks is MUCH simpler. Here is the code I just honked up- python code- and it is VERY simple and straightforward:

That sure is a lot simpler than 50 lines of code working as a state machine...

now I may implement it in the next generation of software, a complete rewrite, but this would entail hodging up some code to search through existing pages and converting them over to the new format for links.

The practitioner of literate programming can be regarded as an essayist, whose main concern is with exposition and excellence of style. Such an author, with thesaurus in hand, chooses the names of variables carefully and explains what each variable means. He or she strives for a program that is comprehensible because its concepts have been introduced in an order that is best for human understanding, using a mixture of formal and informal methods that reinforce each other.